River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-12-01
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A Remarkable Plant Which Sometimes
Creates Q Decided Sensation.

GAhO - - FOF-W EG Os
a Remarkable Plant which Sometimes
Creates Decided Sensation.
The last six years have developed
wonderful things in Dakota. both in the
productions Of the soil and of the sea
tiers, ii we may believe the newspapers.
ana until we have occasion to doubt 8
Dakota editor our confidence will res
main mistaken. Eastern Dakota Is old
now and no new thing can come out of
1t to startle the world, and since tbs
delicious Buffalo berry acknowledged
to Pierre lady, year ago. that IL was
discovered. men of science have crossed
the big Muddy into the wiIds be.
yond. and their discoveries are numsr.
Gus and even more wonderful than
before. A Dakota editor and his wife
while out shaking recently discovered
several new species of snakes, the most
interesting of which was the fish
snake. Two years ago the pop-w oed
first made its appearance along ths
borders of civilization from the interior
Of the Sioux Reservation; and cattlemeA
along the Missouri bottoms have had
interesting times ever since. Ii is quite
late in the fall when the pop-weed ball
begins t. roll like tumble-weeds over
the prairies. The pop-weed is a rank
growing weed known only to this
sectioni it has stalk like the cabbage
plant. with large round top the
size of a Hubbard squash and about the
same color. There are thousands Of
acres of the pop-weed in the reserva-
ton, and they are very numerous and
grow TO prodigious size in the vicinity
Of ''alkali beds When the ''terrific
northwest winds" blow late in the fau
the pop-balls become detached from the
stalks and roll for miles over the prai.
ries; until they reach uneven country
or other distractions, where they sc.
cumulate and pile up like high banks
Of snow. Behind these banks of weeds
the wild buffalo found shelter in mid
winter from the fierce b'izzards. If thu
pop-weed ball comes foI chilly in contacs
with any hard object while rolling il
explodes with a tremendous report, =
cloud of fine powder passes off through
the air, and thousands of sharp. fine
needles are thrown out in every direc-
ton. These needles are the seeds of
the pOp-weed, and are what produce
the mischief with stock, for they are
very penetrating. A "critter' will
run from rolling pop-weed like jack
rabbit from a coyote. The Indians
now located at Brule Agency tell
strange and interesting stories about
the weed. II is said that the Young
braves OF the tribe. for discipline and
To prepare themselves to endure grea,
torture. would select chiefs and array
themselves in battle line, and fight
with these pop-balls like schoolbovs
in a SNOWFALL contest. The battle
of the pop-weed' was held once r.
year, and was witnessed by the whole
tribe with great pomP and parade. This
day was to the young braves what the
Fourth of July is TO the American
youth. There were the smoke and noise
of battle to perfection. and the fine.
sharp needles caused intense pain. The
greatest exhibitions of bravery were re-
warded by promotion in the tribe, and
presentations Of handsome bead-work
were made by the young braves best
girls. But this famous weed, that once
sheltered the wild buffalo of the plains
from the winter storms and was used
in the sham battles of the young Sioux
braves, has since become very obnox-
iOus to the Missouri river cattlemen,
and they are agitating the question of
the best meth0d of obtaining protection
from it. In the Village of POp-Weed''
(so-called by the Indians. because the
weeds cover the ground for miles ut This
point and grow very largel are the
arrow-grouuds. just before starting
on the annual hunt they went in large
numbers to the pop-weed village for
arrows. The needles from the largest
pOp-weeds are very long, and when
baked in hot ashes become very hard
and strong and make good arrows.
When they found large pOp-ball they
would shoot into it with Arrows and
cause it to explode and throw out its
needles, which they gathered and pre-
pared for use. The Indians went ar
rowing late in the fall, and before the
pop-weed ball commenced to roll over
the prairies all the Indian villages were
deserted. This was the order Of the
tribe every fall TO get their horses and
other stock out of thu way of the dam
gerous pop-weed to prevent them FROM
running away. The pop-weed is as yet
unknown 20 botanists.-C0r Chicago
T'ribRne.